Okay, I've been thinking about this lately... and I've brought up my situation before, but in case people don't know I'll say again short and sweet...

I plan on going to "Canada West Canine Center" after I graduate next Spring. I need an UNTRAINED and young (6-8 months they said is best) pup if I get into that school. (IF). I was going to get my AmStaff then and use her for the school too.

I decided I WILL get from a shelter.

The problem is that I have very specifics for this dog, needs be female, young, untrained, and submisive to other dogs. This is all because of the school and my current dog who is very dominant.

I have no idea how I can find a dog like that if I get into the school at the right time.

So I was thinking, what if I FOSTERED a dog and used it at the school? This way I only have the dog for 3-6 weeks (still need to arange with bf and longdistance stuff whether I will be gone for the whole six weeks or go for three and then come back next year for the other three), or until it finds a home if longer, AND the dog gets trained and stuff and if it doesn't work out with Coal that's alright, I can keep them seperate until the doggy finds it's forever home.

Does this sound like a good plan to ya'll? What do I need to think about, any flaws in this plan.

I would think the biggest flaw would be the dog finding a home before I'm done the school, just the fact I'll be out of a dog, not that it finds a home You think that the shelter that I foster the dog from would be able to put the dog on a waiting list sorta deal? That the person can't take it home until after the training is done? Or what?

I have a year to figure this out, this is just an idea, so any critisism or anything is welcome, I don't want to get into something that I can't handle

I think that's a GREAT idea! When it's closer to then, feel free to get in touch with myself or Rumpley, and we should be able to hook you up with a needy rescue dog. If not one from down here, then maybe one from Big Dog Rescue? They're relatively close to Salmon Arm.

Hum, two of our group members will be certified by this school (one already is) so if you want some advice or guidance, prior to going, let us know and we'll hook you up to talk.

My biggest piece of advice to anyone who wants to be a dog trainer, is why wait for your school season to start? The BEST experience, IMO, is sitting at your local shelter. Handle those dogs, all types, sizes and personalities. The more hands on you get, the better trainer you will end up being in the end.

When I had my business, I didn't have a single staff member who had not volunteered at least a year at the local shelter. If they didn't have it, I told them to come back after they did. They were EXCELLENT dog handlers, all of them.

Plus, being a good dog trainer and being a good "people" trainer are separate things totally. A lot of great dog trainers are lousy instructors who can't convey their ideas to their students. Being good with dogs isn't enough - the owners are the ones you are actually training, not their dogs.

Also, a foster dog is an excellent idea. It would be relatively easy to adopt out a pittie that has all it's basic obedience down pat. Good idea!

Rumpley wrote:Hum, two of our group members will be certified by this school (one already is) so if you want some advice or guidance, prior to going, let us know and we'll hook you up to talk.

Oh that would be so great!

Rumpley wrote:My biggest piece of advice to anyone who wants to be a dog trainer, is why wait for your school season to start? The BEST experience, IMO, is sitting at your local shelter. Handle those dogs, all types, sizes and personalities. The more hands on you get, the better trainer you will end up being in the end.

When I had my business, I didn't have a single staff member who had not volunteered at least a year at the local shelter. If they didn't have it, I told them to come back after they did. They were EXCELLENT dog handlers, all of them.

I would LOVE to volunteer at a shelter, but we have no "local shelters". I live two hours from an SPCA. We DO have a dog pound though, and i was going to work there but I have NO idea who runs it and currently my "contacts" to her are out of town :roll: I do know people who run a kennel that's about a 40 minute drive from here though... I told her if she needs help this summer to just call me, I know she needs the help because she's been really sick but I haven't gotten a call, so I'm not sure if she's even got the kennels running right now.My friend is starting agility classes soon in my yard because I have 5 acres and we've made a few agreements so she can hold the classes here free of charge. I get full access to her equipment (yay) and the dogs must ALWAYS be on leash unless they have a 100% recall, and the owners must pick up after the dogs if they do not "do their business" in the bushes

Rumpley wrote:Plus, being a good dog trainer and being a good "people" trainer are separate things totally. A lot of great dog trainers are lousy instructors who can't convey their ideas to their students. Being good with dogs isn't enough - the owners are the ones you are actually training, not their dogs.

It's funny actually, for the life of me in class I can NOT explain to someone how to do a math problem even though I just finished doing it and got it right, but when it comes to training dogs I can explain it without even thinking My little neighbor and I get together every other night with the dogs to work on Basic Obediance, Socialization, my dog's resource gaurding, and Agility. It's a lot of fun and I have FINALLY gotten her interested in doing it! She's 13 so kind of at the ADD stage and where she would rather be hanging with friends than her dog, but I've managed to FINALLY get her interested in it, in trade for us hanging out. So that way she gets to hang out with me, her fave person in the world and then I get her to work with her dog. We'd been working with the dogs for years and it was always SO hard to get her to do it and to listen, but now it's a peice of cake. When I see her doing something wrong and a way that could make it easier I can actually explain it and she LISTENS!

I've also found if you explain to people WHY their dog is doing something, and WHY it's easier to train them a certian way according to the dog's behavior they understand a bit more. Some people don't seem to get it, but I've had deep conversations with people who think of their family dog as nothing more than the family dog, and they end up nodding and saying "hey, that does make sense!" It's a wonderful feeling when you get through to the owner

Rumpley wrote:Also, a foster dog is an excellent idea. It would be relatively easy to adopt out a pittie that has all it's basic obedience down pat. Good idea!

Thanks! I figure it will be great for Coal and I too, because I will get the experience of owning a bully and what that's like before making a life long commitment, and also Coal will learn what it's like to live with another dog. He's always been an only dog and therefore he's very spoiled and tends to think ALL toys and treats are his :roll: We're working on that a lot now so hopefully he will be able to learn how to share before the foster comes into my life. If not they will not be aloud together with toys or treats around.